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“Yeah. I guess I’m just thinking you don’t have to feel like you have to keep the baby. And if you think that’s what God wants you to do, by all means. Do it. But don’t feel guilty if you don’t.”
“Thank you. I maybe needed that permission. I hadn’t even allowed myself to think that I might not keep her. A baby is a big responsibility.”
“It is.” Ford would know. He’d raised four children of his own with Morgan. He wouldn’t go back and change it for the world. His children meant more to him than anything except for his wife and his Jesus. But it wasn’t an easy task. Not even for just one child.
“I’ve been wondering how I can court Ellen the way she deserves, while still taking care of the baby.”
Ford nodded, and then he decided to give his opinion on that as well. “Ellen deserves the world. She’s a good woman. But... Sometimes the very best women just want you. They don’t want all the bells and whistles, they don’t want all those special things raining down on them, they just want you. Your time, your attention, you showing them by your words, deeds, actions, whatever it is that speaks to their love language, that she’s important to you. And that you love her.”
Travis listened. His eyes were narrowed a little, as though he were processing the words as Ford spoke. Travis always listened. That was part of what had made him such a good business protégé. And part of the reason he’d been so successful. He hadn’t thought that he knew best, but he’d been willing to be humble and to learn.
He was doing that now, and Ford appreciated it and figured that whatever choice he made, he would be successful in that area of his life as well. After all, a man typically wasn’t born a natural romantic.
“I think, I think a lot of times men get things backward. They do all of the pretty shows before the marriage, and then once they’re married, they forget to romance their wife. They forget that she chose him, and he chose her, and it takes a certain amount of work to make a marriage relationship work. That after the vows are said is when the real work begins.”
“The little bit that I’ve watched, TV would have us believe the exact opposite.”
“Maybe that’s why there are so many divorces in the world today.” Ford knew that it wasn’t that simple. It was mostly because character wasn’t valued anymore. Because Christianity was on the decline in America. And what used to be social pressure to stay married had totally disintegrated, and now, anyone who tried to exert any pressure on someone to do right was called judgmental and wrong.
All the stigma of sinning had been removed, and now just like the Bible had predicted, wrong had become right, and right wrong.
Not for the first time, Ford wondered if it had been a smart idea to bring four children into the world, a world that was so twisted and messed up. But until the Lord came back, there was still hope for, if not the entire world, at least individuals. Maybe, maybe because he had brought his children into the world, there would be people who escape the fires of hell and find Jesus, and end up in heaven because of his children. He could only hope so.
That was the point of having children. There might be someone who was saved from the fires of hell because of his child. He was at the point where it could be his grandchildren who pointed someone to Jesus. There was no higher calling.
“Well, she’s sleeping, and Ellen will be here soon, so I’m going to head out.” They’d already talked about what he’d come to discuss, the investment of the Sweet View Ranch and Travis’s exodus from his companies.
Travis had always said that he wanted to move back to Sweet Water and buy property. And he’d worked hard to make that happen. With their joint investment in the Sweet View Ranch, and with the way the Clyborne family was working on it, Travis should be set for life.
“It’s always good to see you,” Travis said, standing carefully, holding the baby gently so he didn’t jerk her as he moved to his feet.
Ford bit back a smile and resisted the urge to scratch his eye patch again. “It’s always good to see you too. You might not be working for me anymore, but I’d like to keep in touch, son.”
Anytime he’d called Travis son, it had made the younger man beam. This was no exception.
“I can’t thank you enough. I really can’t.”
“Thank Jesus. I am nothing without him.”
“Same,” Travis said.
Ford held out his hand, and by now, Travis was well used to the fact that he only had three digits on it and gripped it without a second look.
Ford took another peek at the baby and took his leave.
He had a feeling that everything was going to work out for Travis. But from experience, he was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be easy.
Chapter 16
Ellen pushed the door open quietly and stepped into Travis’s house.
It was quiet, but that didn’t necessarily mean it had been a good night. For the last two nights, Alice had been up all night long crying. When Ellen had gotten there in the morning after teaching her aquatics class, Travis had looked like he was ready to drop.
She felt terrible for him but didn’t know what to do. Other than to keep coming and giving him a little bit of time to rest while she watched the baby, cooked a meal or two, and did a little bit of cleaning.
They barely talked, because Travis had been so tired.
She tiptoed into the living room, which was where Travis usually crashed if the baby had been up.
